Disclaimers: Nope, they aren't mine except Abigail Riley. Don't sue me! -------------- A Perfect World (2/2) Mulder left work early that night for the first time in a long while. He wasn't willing to leave Abby alone for too long. He knew she could take care of herself; he was just using her safety as an ulterior motive for seeing her sooner. He couldn't figure her out sometimes no matter how hard he tried. In college she has always been his friend... a kid sister type almost. But now... she was a totally different person. Abby was no longer the delicate young woman he remembered. She was tough and independent and... a killer. And dammit, when had she gotten so beautiful? Why did she have to come back into his life like this? He wanted to talk to her, get to know her again, but they were in danger of losing their lives. This was not the time for him to lose his head over some woman, even if the woman was Abigail Riley. He opened the door to his apartment to find her curled up in a ball on the couch sound asleep. She was wearing one of his shirts and her jeans. Mulder walked toward her, careful to as quiet as possible. When he got close, she opened her eyes and said, "Mulder, stop sneaking around like that. I know someone's here and I know it's you. I can smell you. And if that's what you call being quiet, then I'd hate to hear you stomping around!" She sat up and grinned at the surprised look on his face. "Don't worry, it's not a bad smell. And besides, I'm trained to be able to hear and smell a potentially dangerous someone sneaking up on me even in my sleep." "Are you sure it's not a bad smell?" he grumped. "Haven't I always told you when you stunk?" Suddenly there was a buzzing from the other room and Abby jumped up. "Oh! I forgot!" she cried, running to the kitchen. She opened the oven to reveal a casserole dish. "Oh, honey, you cooked," Mulder said with a laugh. "You hush. I knew you wouldn't have any food but ancient Chinese and maybe some fuzzy pizza... I had no choice." "My pizza isn't fuzzy!" he cried indignantly. "Perhaps not, but your face is. When was the last time you shaved?" "I'll go do it right now." She grabbed his arm before he could leave. "No, I like it," she said softly. She then turned her attention back to the oven. He watched her as she worked, as comfortable in the kitchen as she was everywhere else. Suddenly he realized she was talking to him. "What?" he asked in confusion. "I asked if you have any plates around here. I assume you're familiar with the concept of plates and silverware." His glare didn't have any malice to it and he reached over her shoulder to open a cabinet. "Right here." His closeness was disconcerting. <What is up with him?> she wondered. Not that she was complaining. No woman in her right mind would complain about ]having Fox Mulder standing so close to her she could feel his warmth. The thought sent little waves of electricity all through her. As she reached for the plates she couldn't help but notice the shaking of her hands. Mulder grabbed her hand gently. "Abby, you're shaking. What's wrong?" Why did he have to keep touching her like that? She couldn't concentrate on anything with him so close. She turned around and looked deep into his eyes. "Nothing," she said softly. "I'm just tired. I didn't sleep so well last night, though I do thank you for the bed. I don't know how you manage to sleep on that couch." As she was talking, he slipped his hand around her waist to rest on the small of her back. She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Fox, what are you doing?" she whispered. Suddenly he kissed her. Though surprised at first, she soon found herself kissing back, her arms wrapped around him. "Come on," he said softly, taking her hand and leading her into the bedroom. ------------- Abby awoke feeling confused. She never slept naked... in fact, she hardly slept at all most nights. What was going on? Then she remembered Fox. "Oh no," she whispered, "how could I have let that happen?" She knew it was a mistake. <Dammit, Abigail, you don't have time for stuff like this!> she told herself. Despite what she told herself, she couldn't help smiling at the memory. She loved him, it was true, damn him! She didn't have time for love or a relationship and neither did he. It was her job to protect Fox, not fall in love with him! She glanced at the bedside clock. Three o'clock... where was Fox? She hopped out of bed and pulled on one of his tshirts. She loved wearing his clothes; she loved his smell. "I love him, period," she said aloud with a sigh. "Fox?" she called into the other room. He was sound asleep on the couch, an old horror movie on the TV. She smiled and gently touched his shoulder. "Fox, wake up." He did with a start, causing her to jump backwards. "Abby?" he asked sleepily. "You scared me." "I'm sorry, honey," she said softly. He smiled up at her. "You used to call everyone that. Do you still?" She shrugged. "There isn't really an 'everyone' now. The job makes sure I'm alone 99.9% of the time." She sat down next to him. "About... earlier...." She trailed off, not knowing what to say. "You think it was a mistake, don't you?" he asked knowingly. She nodded. "Yeah, I do. I don't... regret it. But I do think it was something that probably shouldn't have happened. I'm here to protect you and to be protected. Anything could've happened..." "Abby, listen to me." He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "When I told you I love you? I meant it. Did you?" She wasn't quite able to meet his eyes. "I... I'm not sure," she finally said, pulling away. "Abigail, don't lie to me. I can always tell when you do." She stood up and walked to the other side of the room, her back to him. "My life is just so complicate, Fox. Right now I'm hiding out in fear of my life. I don't have time to fall in love... not even with you." She stood there for a long time with her head bowed before finally turning to face him. He was astounded. "Abby, are you crying?" he whispered. All the years he had known her he had never seen her cry, not even when Tommy died. He supposed she had, of course, but in her own private way. Now here she was, crying right in front of him. She wiped her eyes absently. "I do love you, Fox; I think I always have. But right now..." She sighed. "Right now there's nothing I can do about that. Now stop making faces, Fox, you know it's true! Look, what happened was a mistake simply because of the situation we're in." Her voice softened. "I don't think it was a mistake because it happened; I think it was a mistake because of *when* it happened." He stood up and wrapped his arms around her. "I think I know of some people who can help you, Abby. They're a little... different... but they can be trusted. I think." "Who are they? And how do you know them? Are they connected with the government in any way?" She had already shut off the emotional part of her mind, and her thinking gears were turning. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, ok? Let's go to bed... I'm beat." He kissed the top of her head and led her into the bedroom. ----------- "You're taking her to The Lone Gunmen?" Scully asked incredulously the next afternoon when Mulder was telling her of his plan. "Who're The Lone Gunmen?" Abby said, concerned at Scully's reaction. "They're crazy!" Scully told her. "Their theories are so paranoid they make Mulder look positively normal." "And you're trusting my *life* to these psychos?" she cried to Fox. "They aren't that bad! They know things, Scully. They could find a place where Abby would be safe. Look, Abby, do you think I would do anything that would endanger you in any way? You know me." She studied both agents carefully a moment before deciding. "Alright, Fox, I'll talk to them. But if I think something's up, I'm gone. I mean completely gone." He didn't miss the significance of her words. "Fair enough," he said softly. -------------- "Mulder!" the blond one with the Buddy Holly glasses said upon opening the door. "Glad you're here! We were just about to get on the 'net and nit-pick the scientific implausibility of 'Star Trek'." "Did you bring your pretty partner with you, Mulder?" the older one said from the corner. "Not this time, Frohike. I've got a favor to ask for a friend of mine." He led Abby into the small, dusty basement room. "Who is she?" the blond one asked. "Don't get your shorts in a wad, Langly, she isn't a spy from the government. At least not anymore." He smiled reassuringly at Abby. "Boys, this is Abigail Riley. Abby, meet Frohike, Langly and Byers, otherwise known as The Lone Gunmen." She nodded at each one in turn. "I understand you gentlemen might be able to help me," "That depends on the kind of help you need," Byers said. Before she could reply, Mulder answered, "She crossed the wrong kind of people and now they're looking for her. I thought you guys could make her a new person." Langly nodded slowly. "We might be able to arrange something... for a price." Mulder smiled wryly. "Of course. Abby?" "I know information that would blow your minds. I'm trained as an assassin for the government. I know the ins and outs of over half the conspiracies and cover-ups in Washington. Hell, I'm the reason for one of them! I'll trade you information for asylum." "How do we know you're telling the truth?" Langly asked suspiciously. She shrugged. "How do you ever know?" "Hey, guys, *I* trust her. That has to say something," Mulder offered. Byers nodded, "Ok, we'll help you. We're going to need some time to do the research." "Time is something I don't have, gentlemen. As I'm sure you know, these men are capable of anything with no regrets. Look, this isn't something I'm used to, asking for help. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't afraid for my life and the lives of those close to me." "We'll have what you need by this time tomorrow. That's the earliest possible," Byers told her. Abby treated him with one of her most beautiful smiles. "Thank you. I understand y'all don't trust me, but I'm sure that'll change." Byers, for one, was already completely sold. ---------- The next morning after Mulder left for work Abby was awoken by pounding on the door. She sleepily pulled on her discarded jeans and tiptoed to the door, pressing her eye cautiously to the peephole. "Shit," she whispered, opening the door. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked the man as he brushed past her into the apartment. Her animosity phased him not at all. "You know why I'm here, Riley. You made a stupid mistake. I'm here to clean up the damage you've caused." "Ahhhh," she said softly, "You're here to kill me then. Well wonders never do cease! You betraying one of your own to look good to these people... a common enough occurrence, eh, Krycek?" His eyes flashed; green eyes so much like Mulder's, yet so different. Alex Krycek wasn't there to kill her, she knew; he didn't have the balls for it. He was well aware that she could kill him at any time. The only reason he was still standing at that moment was because she wanted him that way. "You're skating on very thin ice, Riley. And you're wrong, I haven't come here to kill you. They sent me here to try to make a deal with you." "A deal?" she said, her voice bright with feigned amusement. "Alright, let's hear it. This should be fun." She crossed her arms and leaned casually against the door jam that led into the den. "They want you back. Don't ask me why, I think it's only inviting trouble in. And that's what you are, Abby: trouble squared." She stiffened. "Don't call me 'Abby'. You gave up that privilege a while ago in case you've forgotten." He glared at her. "I haven't forgotten. You remind me every single chance you get." "Don't get petty, Krycek. Contrary to what you might think, it doesn't become you. Now will you get on with this? What kind of deal?" "Mulder and Scully's lives for yours." He said it simply, without emotion. Krycek, the ever-perfect drone. Krycek, who was willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of the men who employed them both. Krycek, the mere pawn in a game he didn't even begin to comprehend. Krycek, with whom she had a past best forgotten. "How convenient for us all," she said bitterly. "I am allowed to live as long as I kill the man I love and his partner. What kind of life is that? There's this little thing some of us have called honor. Every heard of it, Krycek?" He shrugged. "You took an oath, Riley. You swore to do your duty to the best of your ability and that means following orders. That is honor." "I was forced to take that oath and you know it!" she said angrily. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Were you? You didn't have to. You were given a choice." "Just stop, ok? You know the 'choice' I was given. It wasn't exactly as cut and dry as you make it out to be." "Are you going to do it or not, Riley? Should I go back and tell them to send someone to get rid of you or should I tell them Mulder and Scully are taken care of?" "Don't play games with me, Krycek. You know what you can tell them." She s tood with her back to him, unwilling to meet his angry eyes. He ran his hand across his mouth. "They'll be reassigned," he said softly. Abby turned slowly, sensing a change in him, something she couldn't quite read, something completely foreign to him. "They probably already have been." "You can't protect them all the time, Abigail." "No," she said with a slow shake of her head, "but I can try." There was a long pause while they stood there just staring at one another. Abby backed down first. "You better get outta here, Krycek. Mulder... well, he wouldn't be happy finding you here." "God dammit, Riley, you're being stupid! They'll kill you!" Beneath his anger she heard desperation. He was actually worried about her! "Alex," she said softly, "that's a risk I'm willing to take. It's not your job to protect me. I can take care of myself." "Yeah, well so can Mulder and Scully. They've proven that a thousand times over by now. Why are you still here?" "Because I love him, and she is his partner and best friend. I can't let them die." Sudden anger flared in her eyes. "Unlike you," she said with venom, "I have some morals." Krycek turned and left quickly, not wanting to show her how much he really did care about her, how much those last words had hurt him... mostly because of their truth. She was poison, he knew, especially in his profession... and especially since he'd probably be the one assigned to take care of her as well as the two FBI agents. His angry course down the hall led him straight into Fox Mulder. "Krycek!" he cried. "What are you doing here?" Mulder reached for his weapon, but Krycek leaped away and down the stairs. "Shit," Mulder muttered, chasing after him. What in the hell was Alex Krycek doing in his apartment building coming down his hall? When the answer hit him he felt it almost physically, as if he'd run straight into a brick wall. He abandoned his pursuit of Krycek and ran to find Abby. He burst into the apartment, weapon drawn. Abby had her own weapon out (She always carried one. How intimidating would it look to hold up your hand and say, "Freeze or I'll shoot."?) before he could say a word. "Fox! Shit, I thought you were... Why the hell are you barreling around like that?" "Abby! Are you alright? I just ran into someone who works for the same men you do. I thought he might've... but you're fine..." She watched the mixture of emotions on his face go from concern to relief to suspicion. "Abby, why was Alex Krycek here?" His tone was dark and she felt herself on the verge of losing his hard earned trust. She sighed and turned away. "He was here to offer me a deal: Your and Scully's lives in exchange for mine. I kill y'all and I'm allowed to live." He was silent for a long time. "What did you say?" he finally asked. She whirled around, dark eyes blazing. "What do you think I said, Fox?!?" she demanded. "I don't know, Abby. That sounds like a good deal to me." "Fuck you, Mulder. I can't believe you would have so little faith in me after all we've been through. I could've shot you the moment you came careening in here. I could've killed you in your sleep one of the three nights I've been here. I could've not even told you about any of this and just done my job like I was supposed to do to begin with!" she cried. "But I haven't killed you, nor do I plan to. "You act as if my loving you is some sort of joke. Do you think I don't mean it? Do you think I'm playing with you? Do you have so little respect for me as to think I'd be capable of something like that?" The anger had faded to leave behind a sad, confused, vulnerable woman who had been through more stress in the last year than anyone should have to put up with. He enfolded her in his warm arms. "I'm sorry, Abby. I know you meant it. I trust you. I love you. I'm sorry," he kept murmuring over and over into her sweet smelling hair. She pulled away. "It's alright. I understand how it might've looked, but he's an ass, Fox. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him; I never would've taken him up on any deal he came to offer me." "I know that," he said softly. "How come you're home so early anyway? You just left!" "Oh yeah... Langly called me. They've got the stuff you needed." He handed her a file full of papers. She studied it. Her new name was Angela Lawrence, born October 5, 1965 in Coats, North Carolina and current resident of Arden, California. There was a driver's license, birth certificate, high school and college diplomas... everything she would need to create a new life. She faked a smile. "This looks perfect. Did you thank them for getting it so soon?" "Yeah, I did." There was a long silence. "When will you leave?" he asked softly. She refused to meet his eyes. "Soon as I can. I'm just putting everyone at risk by being here." "Oh. That's probably for the best." The hurt in his voice surprised her. "Fox, you know I have to go," she whispered. "Do you? Couldn't you stay here somewhere? Hey, I'm always in need of a good body guard." His wry smile had nothing but sadness behind it. Abby sighed but said nothing for a long time. "You knew from the beginning what you were in for," she finally told him. "You knew I was going to have to go. That was the whole deal!" She chewed on her lower lip and paced around the room. Stopping in front of him, she said, "This isn't easy for me either. I don't want to go, Fox. I would give anything to be able to stay here and have a life with you, but we both know that isn't possible. In a perfect world, I could. In a perfect world everything would be different. Hell, in a perfect world I wouldn't even have had this job. But we both know this world is far from perfect." Her dark eyes filled with tears and she turned away again. "We should never have done this. I was stupid to agree to stay here. I should've just left when I had the chance." "Do you really mean that?" he asked, hurt. She shook her head. "Only because this has caused you so much pain." He turned her around and kissed her soundly. "It's worth it. You're worth it. I love you, Abby, and I wouldn't trade these past few days for anything." "Don't get all mushy on me, Fox. You know I hate that," she said dryly. He didn't say anything and she stood looking at him for a long time. "Are you memorizing me by heart?" he finally asked her. She smiled. "I already know you by heart, honey. I'm just..." She ran her finger tips along his jaw. "I'm just reminding myself why I didn't kill you when I had the chance," she said with a wry grin. He lifted her into his arms and she gave a little shriek. "I think I'll call in sick," he said. "This is our last day together after all." With a mischievous grin he carried her into the bedroom. ------------ Mulder took her to the airport the next afternoon. As they made their way through the bustling crowds of Dulles, Abby carefully scanned everyone she could see. She knew they were there, they had to be. "Abby, are you ok?" Mulder finally asked her. She looked up at him, startled. "Yeah, I'm fine... just thinking." As they passed a small souvenir store, she saw one. He was wearing a dark suit and looked not much different than any other business man, but Abby knew differently. "Fox," she said quietly, "I don't want you to come with me any further." "What?!? Why not?" he asked, uncomprehending. She sighed. "It's the way it has to be. I think it would just be easier to say goodbye here." "Don't lie to me, Abby. They're here, aren't they? I'm not going to leave you." His voice was determined, but she could be even more stubborn than he. "Yes, you are, Fox." She reached up an unclasped the gold necklace that she always wore. "This belonged to my mother. I've worn it since the day she gave it to me, but now I'm giving it to you." She opened his hand, laid the necklace on his palm and closed his fingers around it. His protests were cut off with a kiss. "You can give it back to me when we meet again. I love you, Fox. Don't you dare forget about me." He kissed her again. "I won't. I promise." Abby stood watching him walk away from her, knowing somewhere deep inside that she had just lied to him: they would never meet again. Suddenly the man was behind her, his hand on her shoulder. "Miss Riley, would you please come with me? There is someone who would like to see you." She didn't turn. "I'll come without protest on one condition." The man waited in silence for her to continue. "You can't touch Mulder. Let him get back to his apartment completely unharmed, and make sure he stays that way." There was a moment of silence. "Alright, Miss Riley, if that's the way you want it, that's the way it will be. Now please..." Abby nodded silently and allowed herself to be led away. -------------- After several hours spent in a large Mercedes, Abigail found herself in a small, dark room in God Only Knows Where, USA. Her hands had been tied behind her to prevent the use of her powers, and she felt more than helpless. She didn't have to wait long, however, before the door opened and two men entered her dank prison. One was obviously the muscle and the other the brains. The older of the two men pulled a pack of Morleys from the pocket of his jacket and recognition clicked in Abigail's brain. It was the man who had given her the assignment in the first place, the one Mulder called, aptly enough, Cigarette-Smoking Man. "We meet again, Miss Riley," he said, lighting his cigarette. "The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure," Abigail said haughtily. The man smiled sourly. "You've lost none of that famous spirit, I see." He took a deep drag and continued. "We only brought you here in order to talk to you. You answer our questions and everyone will get along just fine." She glared at him but said nothing. The other man stepped forward and hit her hard across the face. Abigail's head snapped to the side and she found herself spitting out blood. After a moment, she turned back to them and still the pride flashed in her eyes. "I will not be broken so easily as that," she said angrily. "I wouldn't think so, Miss Riley. We do not train weaklings, as you well know." He paused to light a second cigarette. "I simply want to know why Fox Mulder is not only still alive, but also was aiding in your attempted escape." "I don't know what you're talking about," she said without so much as a blink. "Oh I think you do. I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." His voice was like poison, but still she just glared haughtily. He nearly panicked then. He had to get this information out of her, or face the consequences. The muscle hit her again. Pain rocked through her, but still she only smiled bitterly at the small man puffing away at his cigarette, the smoke gathering above his head like some misplaced halo. "The first lesson I was taught," she said, her voice as cold and hard as steel, "was to deny everything." The Smoking Man stood there staring into her dark, unrelenting eyes for a long time before finally nodding to the other one and silently leaving the room, angry at himself for losing her, but never once letting the cool veneer of his mask falter. The shot rang out into the cold Virginia night, but there was no one to hear, and the only one to mourn was sitting in a far-away apartment clutching a gold necklace and praying to a God he did not even believe in for the life of Abigail Riley. "In a perfect world," he remembered, "Everything would be different. Hell, in a perfect world I wouldn't even have had this job. But we both know this world is far from perfect." The truth of those words nearly broke his heart, and he finally let the tears fall. End